Junk On Computer

What Is All This Junk On My Computer? And how do I get rid of it?

These are both excellent questions! Increasingly, people are expressing frustration about all the junk that infests their computers. I don't mean just the toolbars and dialers and browser helper objects that can insinuate their way onto your hard drive. I'm talking about the stuff that litters your desktop and starts up with Windows, even on brand new computers. Trial offers for AOL. Links to MSN. Opportunities to purchase who-knows-what. And printer/scanner/camera software that insists it needs to start up every time you turn on the computer.

This week we'll look at what you can do to find the junk and then get rid of the junk. In a future column we'll look at what you can do to keep it from sneaking in again.

New computers
You take your brand new computer out of the box, connect everything, and fire it up. The very first time see your desktop, it's littered with icons for programs you don't need and don't want. Furthermore, if you look at what starts up when you turn on the computer, you'll find more unnecessary items. What can you do?

If you received a copy of Windows XP or Windows Vista with your machine, you can wipe your hard drive clean and install a fresh, clean, shiny copy of Windows. This is not an option for the novice or for the faint of heart. Even if you know what you're doing (or are willing to take a crack at it even if you don't) you're going to find it tedious and time-consuming.

And this will only work if you have a copy of Windows on a disc. Most mainstream computer makers (Dell, Gateway, Toshiba, HP, and many more) simply do not include a disc with Windows on it. They might include a Rescue Disc or Recovery Disc. Sometimes you don't even get that, and have to create your own rescue/recovery media. You need to know that these are not Windows installation discs. They will simply restore you computer to the original state in which you received it --- that is, complete with all the unwanted junk.

If you don't want to (or can't) do a clean install, you can grab a free program that will search your computer for the most common junk and uninstall it with your permission. This program is called PC Decrapifier, and is available here: http://pcdecrapifier.com/home. The PC Decrapifier works on XP and Vista on NEW machines. It will (probably) not work on a computer you've been using for awhile.

Not so new computers
Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a Decrapifier tool for computers that aren't just out of the box. That means you have to spend some time doing what the Decrapifier does --- finding the junk and uninstalling it. (Or you can call in a professional. I have been doing this for clients on both old and new machines for years now.)

If you do it yourself, try to take a systematic approach. First, take a look at your desktop. Look at each and every icon there and ask yourself, "Is this for something I actually use?" Have you EVER clicked on AOL Free Trial Offer? If you have an icon for a program you will never use, then for goodness sake uninstall the program. And I highly recommend keeping a list of the programs you uninstall, just in case you need to know that later.

Next, have a look at the Start menu. Is there anything there you can do without? Games? Photo software? Trial versions of things you don't want? If so, uninstall them (and keep notes) just as you did for the junk on your desktop.

New and not so new
Once you've uninstalled the unwanted software, download and run Autoruns so you can see what is trying to start up with Windows. I can almost guarantee you'll be shocked at what starts up with Windows. There is more information about startup programs and how to manage them effectively in a previous column, here.

Follow up with a decent registry cleaner, such as CCleaner, available here. I recommend CCleaner for experienced users. If you don't consider yourself experienced, try EasyCleaner here.

Thank you to everyone who emailed comments, questions, and suggestions. Please email Cate with yours!

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.